Gavin Henson has criticised Sir Clive Woodward's coaching abilities in the build-up to the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in the summer.

The centre was expected to star in the series after playing a pivotal role in Wales' Six Nations Grand Slam triumph.

But he was left out of the first Test and the Lions were whitewashed 3-0.

"I've still got a lot of respect for Clive but his preparation of the Test team was poor," said Henson in the Mail on Sunday's serialisation of his book.

"I felt let down because I was led to believe I would start the first Test and I didn't and the way I was taken off in the two games leading up to that decision made me feel even more frustrated.

"I also felt his tactics and his game plan were out of date, while I was shocked to see how little actual coaching he does - his methods were something new to me and left me a bit bewildered."

Henson claimed Woodward's basic game plan going into the first Test had been wrong.

And he also accused the former England coach of wasting valuable time trying to figure out his best team, a negative approach and concentrating on what would "lose us the Test series" in his book 'My Grand Slam Year'.